‭KABULIWALLAH‬

‭RITTIK SIR‬

‭7980881578‬

‬
‭1.‬ D‭ iscuss‬ ‭how‬ ‭the‬ ‭theme‬ ‭of‬ ‭pain‬ ‭and‬ ‭separation‬ ‭is‬ ‭presented‬ ‭in‬ ‭Rabindranath‬
‭Tagore’s ‘Kabuliwallah’.‬

R
‭ ns.‬ ‭The‬ ‭theme‬ ‭of‬ ‭pain‬ ‭and‬ ‭separation‬ ‭is‬ ‭explored‬ ‭to‬ ‭a‬ ‭great‬ ‭extent‬ ‭in‬ ‭Rabindranath‬‭Tagore’s‬
A
‭‘Kabuliwala’‬ ‭in‬ ‭two‬ ‭episodes.‬ ‭Firstly,‬ ‭the‬ ‭Kabuliwallah‬ ‭had‬ ‭to‬ ‭leave‬ ‭his‬ ‭country‬ ‭and‬ ‭travel‬ ‭to‬

SI
‭distant‬‭lands‬‭to‬‭earn‬‭his‬‭living‬‭that‬‭separates‬‭him‬‭from‬‭his‬‭family‬‭and‬‭he‬‭yearns‬‭for‬‭the‬‭presence‬
‭of‬ ‭his‬ ‭daughter.‬ ‭It‬ ‭is‬ ‭through‬ ‭his‬ ‭relationship‬ ‭with‬ ‭Mini,‬ ‭he‬ ‭seeks‬ ‭to‬ ‭bring‬ ‭into‬ ‭existence‬ ‭his‬
‭relationship‬‭with‬‭his‬‭daughter.‬‭Rehmat‬‭finds‬‭the‬‭image‬‭of‬‭his‬‭own‬‭daughter‬‭in‬‭Mini‬‭and‬‭always‬
‭seeks‬ ‭opportunity‬ ‭to‬ ‭spend‬ ‭time‬ ‭with‬ ‭her.‬ ‭However,‬ ‭the‬ ‭second‬ ‭time‬ ‭he‬ ‭suffers‬ ‭the‬ ‭pangs‬ ‭of‬
‭separation,‬ ‭when‬ ‭he‬ ‭is‬ ‭taken‬ ‭to‬ ‭the‬ ‭prison‬ ‭for‬ ‭eight‬ ‭years.‬ ‭Throughout‬ ‭the‬ ‭story‬ ‭Kabuliwallah‬
‭remains separated from his loved ones and experiences the pain of leading an isolated life.‬
IK
‭2.‬ ‭Character sketch of Kabuliwallah‬

‭ ns.‬ ‭The‬‭eponymous‬‭character‬‭of‬‭the‬‭story‬‭Kabuliwala‬‭is‬‭a‬‭fruit‬‭seller‬‭from‬‭Afghanistan,‬‭who‬
A
T

‭has‬‭come‬‭to‬‭Kolkata‬‭in‬‭order‬‭to‬‭earn‬‭his‬‭living.‬‭Rahamat‬‭is‬‭an‬‭ostracized‬‭figure‬‭in‬‭town,‬‭and ‭t‬he‬
‭narrator‬‭treats‬ ‭him‬ ‭with‬ ‭suspicion‬‭until‬‭he‬‭befriends‬‭the‬‭narrator’s‬‭five-year-old‬‭daughter, ‬‭Mini‬‭.‬
‭He‬‭develops‬‭a‬‭strong‬‭bond‬‭of‬‭friendship,‬‭love‬‭and‬‭filial‬‭affection‬‭for‬‭Mini‬‭and‬‭treats‬‭her‬‭like‬‭his‬
IT

‭own‬ ‭daughter‬ ‭whom‬ ‭he‬ ‭has‬ ‭left‬ ‭in‬ ‭Afghanistan.‬ ‭However,‬ ‭Rahamat‬ ‭gets‬ ‭separated‬ ‭from‬ ‭Mini‬
‭when‬ ‭is‬ ‭arrested‬ ‭for‬ ‭stabbing‬ ‭a‬ ‭debtor.‬‭Eight‬‭years‬‭later,‬‭when‬‭he‬‭is‬‭released‬‭from‬‭jail,‬‭he‬‭goes‬
‭straight‬‭to‬‭the‬‭narrator’s‬‭home‬‭to‬‭see‬‭Mini,‬‭but‬‭is‬‭shocked‬‭to‬‭find‬‭that‬‭she‬‭has‬‭grown‬‭up.‬‭Rahamat‬
‭tries‬ ‭to‬ ‭rekindle‬ ‭their‬ ‭former‬ ‭friendship‬ ‭but‬ ‭Mini‬ ‭fails‬ ‭to‬ ‭recognize‬ ‭him.‬‭Kabuliwallah‬‭realizes‬
‭R

‭that‬‭he‬‭has‬‭not‬‭only‬‭been‬‭away‬‭from‬‭Mini‬‭but‬‭also‬‭from‬‭his‬‭own‬‭daughter‬‭for‬‭years.‬‭Through‬‭the‬
‭character‬ ‭of‬ ‭Kabuliwala,‬ ‭Tagore‬ ‭presented‬ ‭the‬ ‭love‬ ‭and‬ ‭affection‬ ‭that‬ ‭a‬ ‭father‬ ‭has‬ ‭for‬ ‭his‬
‭daughter‬

‭3.‬ “‭ May‬ ‭the‬ ‭happiness‬ ‭of‬ ‭your‬ ‭meeting‬ ‭bring‬ ‭good‬‭fortune‬‭to‬‭my‬‭child.”‬‭–‬‭Bring‬‭out‬

‭the significance of the statement.‬
‭Or,‬‭“In‬‭a‬‭distant‬‭land‬‭a‬‭long‬‭lost‬‭father‬‭met‬‭again‬‭with‬‭his‬‭only‬‭child.”‬‭–‬‭Comment‬
‭on the significance of the statement.‬

‭ ns.‬ ‭As‬ ‭Rehmat‬ ‭finds‬ ‭Mini‬ ‭adorned‬ ‭in‬‭her‬‭wedding‬‭veil,‬‭he‬‭realises‬‭that‬‭his‬‭own‬‭daughter‬

A
‭has‬ ‭also‬ ‭grown‬ ‭up‬ ‭in‬ ‭these‬ ‭eight‬ ‭years.‬ ‭He‬ ‭takes‬ ‭out‬ ‭a‬ ‭dirty‬ ‭piece‬ ‭of‬ ‭paper‬ ‭that‬ ‭bore‬ ‭the‬
 i‭mpression‬‭of‬‭an‬‭ink-smeared‬‭hand‬‭of‬‭his‬‭little‬‭daughter‬‭and‬‭the‬‭narrator‬‭notices‬‭the‬‭pain‬‭of‬
‭separation‬ ‭in‬ ‭Kabuliwallah’s‬ ‭face.‬ ‭Despite‬‭their‬‭differences‬‭in‬‭culture‬‭and‬‭social‬‭class,‬‭both‬
‭the‬ ‭narrator‬ ‭and‬ ‭Rehmat‬ ‭are‬ ‭united‬ ‭by‬ ‭their‬ ‭identity‬ ‭as‬ ‭fathers‬ ‭and‬ ‭their‬ ‭love‬ ‭for‬ ‭their‬
‭daughters.‬ ‭The‬ ‭narrator‬ ‭gives‬ ‭some‬ ‭money‬ ‭to‬ ‭Rehmat‬ ‭by‬ ‭sacrificing‬ ‭the‬ ‭arrangements‬ ‭of‬
‭electric‬‭lights‬‭and‬‭military‬‭band‬‭for‬‭Mini’s‬‭wedding‬‭in‬‭order‬‭to‬‭make‬‭a‬‭long-lost‬‭father‬‭meet‬
‭his‬ ‭daughter.‬ ‭The‬ ‭narrator‬ ‭believes‬ ‭that‬ ‭his‬ ‭Mini‬ ‭would‬ ‭receive‬ ‭blessings‬ ‭as‬ ‭the‬‭father‬‭and‬
‭daughter‬‭get‬‭re-acquainted‬‭after‬‭many‬‭years.‬‭Although‬‭the‬‭story‬‭ends‬‭in‬‭a‬‭sombre‬‭note,‬‭it‬‭also‬
‭ends with a sense of hope that illuminates the wedding in a kinder and more gracious light.‬

‬
R
‭Q. Comment on Mini’s relationship with Kabuliwallah‬

‭ ns.‬ ‭Rabindranath‬ ‭Tagore’s‬ ‭‘Kabuliwallah’‬ ‭highlights‬ ‭a‬ ‭beautiful‬ ‭friendship‬ ‭between‬ ‭a‬ ‭five‬ ‭a‬
A

SI
‭year‬‭old‬‭girl‬‭Mini‬‭and‬‭an‬‭old‬‭fruit‬‭seller‬‭from‬‭Afganisthan.‬‭Initially‬‭Mini‬‭is‬‭scared‬‭to‬‭see‬‭Rehmat‬
‭in‬ ‭his‬ ‭loose‬ ‭robe‬ ‭and‬‭tall‬‭turban‬‭but‬‭Rehmat‬‭befriends‬‭her‬‭by‬‭bribing‬‭her‬‭with‬‭nuts‬‭and‬‭raisins.‬
‭Mini‬ ‭is‬ ‭a‬ ‭talkative‬ ‭and‬ ‭inquisitive‬ ‭girl‬ ‭and‬ ‭Kabuliwallah‬ ‭listens‬ ‭to‬ ‭her‬ ‭chattering‬ ‭patiently.‬
‭Rehmat‬ ‭develops‬ ‭a‬ ‭filial‬ ‭affection‬ ‭for‬ ‭Mini‬ ‭and‬‭looks‬‭for‬‭opportunities‬‭to‬‭spend‬‭time‬‭with‬‭her.‬
‭Rehmat‬ ‭finds‬ ‭the‬ ‭image‬ ‭of‬ ‭his‬ ‭own‬ ‭daughter‬ ‭in‬ ‭Mini‬ ‭and‬ ‭their‬ ‭friendship‬ ‭is‬ ‭full‬ ‭of‬ ‭love,‬
IK
‭innocence‬ ‭and‬ ‭tenderness.‬ ‭Mini‬ ‭and‬ ‭Kabuliwallah’s‬ ‭father-daughter‬ ‭relationship‬ ‭is‬‭beyond‬‭any‬
‭barrier of caste, class, age or geographical location.‬

‭SAQ‬
T

1‭ .‬ ‭ ow was Mini as a child ?‬

H
‭2.‬ ‭Why was Mini’s mother angry at her ?‬
‭3.‬ ‭What was Mini’s father’s profession? Who were the hero and heroine of his novel‬
IT

‭4.‬ ‭Give the appearance of the Kabuliwallah.‬

‭5.‬ ‭How did Rehmat befriend the five year old girl ?‬
‭6.‬ ‭Why was the narrator startled one morning?‬
‭7.‬ ‭What was the meaning of “father in laws house” according to Kabuliwallah?‬
‭8.‬ ‭What would the narrator dream of ?‬
‭R

‭9.‬ ‭What was Mini’s mother’s fears?‬

‭10.‬ ‭Why was Rehmat put behind the bars? For how many years was he arrested?‬
‭11.‬ ‭How was the narrator’s house decorated for Mini’s wedding?‬
‭12.‬ ‭What did Rehmat show the narrator on Mini’s wedding day ?‬
‭13.‬ ‭Why did the narrator initially refuse to let Rehmat meet Mini on her wedding day‬
‭14.‬ ‭Why did the narrator give Rehmat some money ?‬
‭15.‬ ‭What the did the narrator sacrifice as he gave the money to Rehmat ?‬
‭Additional Questions‬

4‭ .‬ W‭ hy was Kabuliwallah arrested? What was Mini’s idea about his imprisonment?‬
‭5.‬ ‭Comment on the theme of fatherly love that is present in Tagore’s ‘Kabuliwallah’.‬

‬
R
SI
IK
T
IT
‭R